indifferent

American  

[in-dif-er-uhnt, -dif-ruhnt] / ɪnˈdɪf ər ənt, -ˈdɪf rənt /

adjective

1. without interest or concern; not caring; apathetic.

   his indifferent attitude toward the suffering of others.

2. having no bias, prejudice, or preference; impartial; disinterested.

3. neither good nor bad in character or quality; average; routine.

   an indifferent specimen.

4. not particularly good, important, etc.; unremarkable; unnotable.

   an indifferent success; an indifferent performance.

   Synonyms:

   commonplace, uninspired, undistinguished, mediocre

5. of only moderate amount, extent, etc.

6. not making a difference, or mattering, one way or the other.

7. immaterial or unimportant.

8. not essential or obligatory, as an observance.

9. making no difference or distinction, as between persons or things.

   indifferent justice.

10. neutral in chemical, electric, or magnetic quality.

11. Biology. not differentiated or specialized, as cells or tissues.

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noun

1. an ethically or morally indifferent act.

2. a person who is indifferent, especially in matters of religion or politics.

adverb

1. Archaic. indifferently.

   I am indifferent well.

indifferent British  

/ ɪnˈdɪfrənt, -fərənt /

adjective

1. (often foll by to) showing no care or concern; uninterested

   he was indifferent to my pleas

2. unimportant; immaterial

3. 1. of only average or moderate size, extent, quality, etc

   2. not at all good; poor

4. showing or having no preferences; impartial

5. biology

   1. (of cells or tissues) not differentiated or specialized

   2. (of a species) not found in any particular community

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Other Word Forms

• indifferently
  adverb
• quasi-indifferent
  adjective
• quasi-indifferently
  adverb
• superindifferent
  adjective
• superindifferently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of indifferent

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (adjective), from Latin indifferent-, stem of indifferēns; equivalent to in- ³ + different

Explanation

If you're indifferent about something, you don't care much about it one way or another. You might feel indifferent about politics, changing the channel whenever the TV news comes on. People seem indifferent when they're obviously unconcerned — an indifferent observer of a tennis match is clearly not rooting for either player, and an indifferent voter might choose a candidate at the last minute by flipping a coin. A slightly less common meaning of indifferent is "unbiased or impartial," which you can see in its root, the Old French indifferent, or "impartial." In this sense of the word, we all hope our laws and legal system are indifferent.

Example Sentences

Still, some of the most standout moments at Coachella 2026 seemed almost indifferent to that logic, suggesting that — as music is wont to do — a countercurrent may be bubbling up.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

"We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent, indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people," the pope said in his address.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

These trading relationships are quite indifferent to any trade-opening efforts with other parts of the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Despite Loughborough's indifferent season, Lutui leads the PWR standings in carries and metres in contact.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

I seem to be indifferent to Mother’s tears and Father’s glances, and I am, because both of them are now feeling what I’ve always felt.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• aloof
• apathetic
• callous
• detached
• diffident
• disinterested
• distant
• haughty
• heartless
• impartial
• impervious
• inattentive
• neutral
• nonchalant
• uncaring
• unconcerned
• uninvolved
• unresponsive
• unsympathetic